ramsdell



(No Model.) 2 Sheets=-Sheet 1.

G. RAMSDELL.

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING GAS PROM WOOD.

No. 317,197. Patented May 5, 1885.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheet '-Sheet 2.

G; RAMSDELL. APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING GAS FROM WOOD- R u L JQU WW I m Full 7 I a v; I I

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UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

GEORGE RAMSDELL, OF OSWEGO, NEWV YORK.

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING GAS FROM WOOD.

EPECIPIC'ATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 317,197, dated May 5 1i385.

Application filed March 20,1854. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE RAMSDELL, of Oswego, in the county of Oswego and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Manufacturing Gas from WVood; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in apparatus for manufacturing gas from wood or vegetable substances. Hitherto the apparatus constructed for this purpose has been found somewhat deficient for the following reasons-viz: There has been a considerable pressure required to force the gas through the washer; there has been more or less liability of damage'arising from carelessly allowing the gas-conductor to remain closed while the retort is heated, it has been necessary to leave the retort-door open when the fire cools down to prevent the backflow of water from the washer, thereby allowing smoke and gas to escape into the retort-room, and the carburetor has failed to produce a gas uniformly rich in carbon.

The object of my present invention is to provide an apparatus which-shall obviate these defects and afford asafe, simple, economical,

and effective apparatus for obtaining the gas from wood and vegetable substances, and uniformly impregnating the gas with carbon.

With these ends in view my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view of the entire apparatus in perspective. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the entire apparatus. Figs. 3 and 4t repre sent front views of the bridge-wall and rear end furnace-wall, respectively. Fig. 5 is a detached sectional view of the washer, and Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the carburetor.

A represents a cylindrical retort of ordinary construction provided with a self-sealing door, and supported in a furnace, B, in the following manner: The rear end of the furnace consists of a single casting, provided at a suitable height on its inside with a projection, b, having a curved upper surface adapted to com form to the shape of the retort, said curved surface being sufficiently long and deep to form a secure rest for the rear end of the retort. The rear end of the furnace is further provided with a perforatiomb, near the base, within or about which the take-up is attached.

The bridge-wall of the furnace consists of a single plate, 0, having a concave upper portion adapted to conform to the curve of a crosssection of the retort, and extending up oneither side of the retort about half-way to the top, completely shutting off. the fire-box from communication with the rear end of the furnace, excepting above the plate 0. The lower portion of the concave end of the plate 0 is provided with-flanges 0, formed integral therewith, which form an easy and broad rest for the central portion of the retort. The bridge-wall G isfurther provided with a projection or projections, c, which form a convenient support for the rear ends of the grate-bars. The front end of the retort extends through and rests in the front furnace-wall.

From the above construction it will be noticed that the heat is forced upward on either side of the retort above the central portion, and down again around the sides and beneath the rear end of theretort to the take-up, by which simple arrangement there is great economy of heat obtained.

My improved washer consists of an inclosed vessel, D, cup-shaped or any other desired shape, provided with a concave base adapted to conform to the topof the furnace, to which it is bolted or otherwise securely attached. A gas-conductor pipe, (1, leads from the retort into the washer and terminates a short distance from the bottom of the washer. The pipe d within the washer is provided near its end with a finely-perforated disk or plate, E, which nearly but not quite shuts off the upper from the lower portion of the washer. I find it convenient in practice to provide the end of the pipe (1 with a thread and the plate E with athreaded perforation adapted to receive the pipe d. The object of this construction is to cause the gas, as it leaves the conductor cl and passes to the surface of the liquid in the washer, to become finely divided and thoroughly exposed to the water, the reason for making the plate somewhat smaller than a cross-section of the washer being to allow an opportunity for the gas to escape in case the perforations in the plate E become clogged from any cause. This position of the washer keeps the liquid therein heated and produces sufficient steam to keep the pipes connected therewith clean.

From the washer a pipe, F, conducts the gas to the holder G. The pipe F is provided with a valve, f, to shut off the back-pressure from the gas-holder.

The washer is further provided with a combined waste and safety pipe, 6, which leads from the washer D, at a point on a level with the surface of the liquid within the washer, into an open water-tank, g. The pipe 6 is provided with a valve, g, and serves to convey into the tank the liquid which accumulates in the washer by the condensing of the moisture escaping with the gas from the ma terial in the retort, and further serves as a safety attachment to the retort. For example, if a careless operator should heat up the retort and generate gas, forgetting to open the valve in the pipeleading to the gas-holder, the escape would take place through the pipe 6 into the water-tank g and would at once, by the turmoil of the water, call his attention to the fact, or, if he were out of hearing for a short time, would go on wasting the gas and releasing the pressure, thus preventing any undue strain within the retort, washer, or pipes.

When the fire in the furnace is reduced, allowing the retort to cool, a partial vacuum will be formed within the retort unless some provision is made to supply it. The opening of the retort-door is objectionable, as has been stated; the backflow of liquid from the washer would be liable to produce damage. I over come these objections by a pipe, H, which communicates with the gas-conductor pipe (1 and take-up, said pipe being provided with a valve, 71, by which warm airis conducted from the take-up to the retort to supply any vacuum which may form.

The pipe F leads to a holder, G, of any approved construction, and extends a short distance above the surface of the liquid in the holder. A pipe, K, leads from the holder G, starting from a point within the holder above the surface of the liquid, leaving the holder at the base, extending from thence to the carburetor L.

The pipe K is provided with a T- connection between the holder and the carburetor, to one branch of which a pipe, is, is attached for the purpose of leading the gas directly from the holder for purposes of heating. Drip-boxesi are placed beneath the lowest portions of the pipes F and K, and pumps 2', for keeping the boxes clear, are connected therewith. The pipes F and K are provided with cocks f and k, as shown.

The carburetor L in its general outlines may be of any approved construction, a convenient form being shown and described in Letters Patent No. 267,933, granted me November 21, 1882. The carburetor is adapted to hold gasoline or other carbonaceous liquid. The pipe K enters from below near the center of the bottom and extends upward to a point as high or higher than the surface of the liquid when the carburetor is charged.

A cylindrical cap, M, is provided with an interior cap, m, the latter having an axial box or sleeve which loosely fits and slides on the pipe K. The interior cap, m,is rigidly secured to the outer cap, M, by suitable posts or ties, and is constructed enough smaller than M to allow an annular space between the sides and bottoms of the caps for the free flow of gas from the pipe K into the carbonaceous liquid. The gas escaping from the end of the pipeKstrikes against the top of the outer section of the double cap, and lifts the same until the pressure is sufficiently strong to cause an escape from the mouth of the cap through the carbonaceous liquid into the gas chamber above, from whence the gas is conducted away for use.

The double cap M m floats on theliquid and slides downward on the pipe K as the liquid lowers, the top of the carburetor being so con-- structed that the cap cannot become displaced when the liquid is highest. This turning downward and spreading out of the current of gas causes it to come in contact and become uniformly charged with the hydrocarbon required to give the gas brilliant illuminating properties. The upper portion, about half of the carbonaceous liquid, being lighter and more Volatile than thelower portion, gives up its vapor more freely, and there has been no ticeable diminution in the brilliancy of the flame after the liquid has been half used, or thereabout. To prevent this I arrange a se ries of restsor supports, N, formed conveniently of strips of metal bent to form three sides of arectangle, having their ends soldered or otherwise secured to the bottom of the carburetor. These rests occupy radial positions extending from the outside of a circle about the pipe K, sufficientlylarge to admit the double cap, to the circumference of the carburetor. Each alternate support N is about half the height of the liquid when the carburetor is full charged, the remaining supports N being only a slight distance above the bottom. A strip of cloth, preferably woolen, is spread over and under the supports N, and secured thereto, thus separating the upper and lower portions of the liquid by a broken or uneven surface of porous material. The effect of this porous material is to draw up the more dense portion of the liquid by capillary attraction, and assist the gas in absorbing the same, thus keeping up the brilliancy of the flame until the liquid is exhausted.

The specific construction of the washer, as such, the gas-holder, and the carburetor are shown and explained for the purpose of mak- IOO ing my manufacturing apparatus complete; but no claim is made thereto in the present case, the same being reserved as thesubjectmatter of a separate application.

The apparatus herein described may be constructed in a simple inexpensive manner to furnish gas for lighting a single house or small group of houses, or it may be enlarged to furnish gas for lighting a village or city; but its advantages are not confined to illumihating, as the gas taken directly from the holder produces a flame of intense heat, and thus serves as a highly-economical agent in cooking or running gas-engines.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire' to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a retort, of a furnace inclosing the retort, the furnace being provided with a bridge-wall having a concave upper edge and flanges formed integral therewith for supporting the central portion of the retort, and with a concave projection formed integral with the rear furnace-wall for supporting the rear end of the retort, sub stantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a retort and afurnace inclosing the retort, of a bridge-wall formed of a single casting, and provided with a concave upper portion having flanges for a retort-support, and a lug or lugs for grate-bar supports formed integral therewith, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a retort and a furnace inclosing the retort, of a bridge-wall separating the front from the rear of the furnace with laterally-extending flanges at the lower portion of the concave edge, and a take-up attached near the base of the rear wall, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with a retort, a heatconducting furnace-wall inclosing the retort, and a flue located between the retort and the top of the furnace-wall, of a washer secured to the furnace-wall above the fire-flue, a pipe connecting the washer and retort, a pipe leading from the washer to a gas-holder, .and a pipe leading from the washer into a tank of liquid, whereby warning of any obstruction in the pipe leading to the holder is given by the commotion of the water in the tank, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE BAMSDELL.

Witnesses:

ELI SEWARD, S. G. NOTTINGHAM. 

